6 Yoga Poses To Help With Back Pain, Recommended By A Top Instructor

We’re no stranger to the many health benefits associated with yoga – improved flexibility, lowered stress levels, better mental wellbeing, to name a few – but what about back pain? We asked a yoga instructor to share their top movements for easing any lingering soreness.

How Can Yoga Help With Back Pain?

‘Yoga can help in a number of ways, it can help to lengthen and strengthen the spine releasing lower back pain,’ says Sophia Drozd, a yoga instructor and founder of the wellness app Yoga 4 Pain. ‘It can also improve flexibility and mobility, which can improve posture and spine alignment.’

It’s all about mindful movements, she adds. ‘Coupled with conscious breathwork, these can help reduce tension and the perception of pain.’

Movements To Avoid

Before planning your yoga session, Sophia emphasises the importance of choosing movements that avoid irritating the spine and the surrounding muscles. ‘With lower back pain you should avoid deep back bends, and be cautious with deep twists and folds,’ she warns. ‘Although these may feel good, move with mindfulness. Don’t explore too much depth and make sure you stay present. You can also support poses with a cushion and blankets to make the poses softer and supportive, if needed.’

@yogaforpain Lower Back and Hip Pain #fyp #chronicpain #hippain #lowerbackpain ♬ original sound – Yoga for Pain

6 Poses To Try At Home

Ready to go full flow? These are the yoga movements prescribed by Sophia to help ease back pain:

1. Cat-Cow

1. From tabletop position, align knees under hips and hands under shoulders.
2. Inhale to Cow Pose; lifting tailbone, expanding belly, lifting chest with gaze forward, breathe into the compression in your lower back.
3. Exhale to Cat Pose; tucking tailbone, hugging navel in, arching through the top of the back and drawing chin to chest.
4. Explore moving from cat-cow for up to two minutes.

2. Gate Pose Floss

1. From table top position, extend one leg out to the side.
2. Exhale and push your hips to the back of the mat, extending arms forward.
3. Inhale, hug the navel in and roll forward, aligning shoulders back over hands.
4. Continue flossing front to back for up to a minute and repeat with opposite leg.

3. Lizard Crawl

1. From tabletop position, step one leg forward into an L shape. Place the foot of your other leg behind you on the edge of mat.
2. Place hands in line with inner arch of foot at the front of the mat.
3. Inhale and walk hands round to the opposite leg (only as far as feels comfortable), exhale and walk hands back.
4. Continue for up to a minute and repeat on opposite side.

4. Supine Twist

1. Recline onto your back, and hug your knees in towards chest.
2. Bring left hand to outside of right leg and right hand to the ground.
3. Slowly roll to the left side, legs in a fetal position supported by the ground (left hand can rest on top of right knee). If this spinal twist is too intense, you can move your right hand from the floor to the top of your right hip and place a cushion under your legs to bring the ground closer to you.
4. Hold this position for up to a minute focusing on your breath, softening into the hold with each out breath.
5. Repeat on opposite side.

5. Reclined Elevated Hip Circles

1. From a reclined position, lift your hips and place a cushion or bolster under your bottom half, supporting the lower back.
2. Engage the core, and, hugging your navel in, bring the feet together and open the knees into a diamond shape.
3. Slowly circle your hips round and repeat in opposite direction. If this feels too intense, keep knees together.
4. Circle round with long nourishing breaths for up to a minute.

6. Legs Up Wall Variation

1. From a reclined position, lift your hips and place a cushion or bolster under your bottom half, supporting the lower back.
2. Slowly lift one leg and then the other, with a soft bend in the knees. Find the sweet spot for your legs to hang.
3. Hold this position for a minute or as long as feels comfortable, focusing on the breath and waves of relaxation.
4. Feel the sensations of weightlessness in the hips, and pain being released from your lower back.